Facilities

The 49ers' SC Stadium Company "filed a lawsuit" against the city of Santa Clara, "claiming it had overpaid" by more than $1M for parking space at a city-owned golf course near Levi's Stadium over several years, according to Emily Deruy of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. The stadium company and the city agreed in '14 that the venue could "use the golf course to park cars and settled on a formula for figuring out how much the company would pay, including an annual minimum fee of $250,000." Under the agreement, the city could "bill for lost income if it showed that it lost more money than expected because the stadium company was using the space." From '14-16, the lawsuit says that the stadium company paid $1.05M "over and above the minimum use fee." In mid-'16, the city and stadium "moved to a month-to-month agreement" and in August '16, the city told the stadium company it "owed more than $700,000, including more than $630,000 in lost income for use of the space from March to July of that year." Santa Clara has "pushed back at the idea that it over-billed the stadium company, pointing to a city-requested audit" completed in '17 that suggested the company owed the city the money. The stadium company wants the $1M back, "with interest" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 4/13).

Capital Region Development Authority said it expects to seek a buyer or investor by the end of this month

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

A "controversial bailout for the city of Hartford" has resulted in $100M for XL Center upgrades "being cut from the governor's proposed capital improvement budget," according to Kenneth Gosselin of the HARTFORD COURANT. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said that it is likely that funding for XL Center will "resurface before the end of the session." Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy proposed spending another $100M for XL Center "as part of changes to the state budget, the second half of the state's current two-year fiscal plan." The $100M "could be used to make upgrades in advance of a sale or represent a financial commitment by the state to a potential buyer." Aresimowicz said that the state approved $40M last year to make the "aging, 43-year old arena more attractive to a potential buyer, partly by purchasing the surrounding atrium and storefronts." Aresimowicz and other legislators said that it will "likely take additional state investment to make a public-private partnership attractive to a buyer or other private investor." Lawmakers agreed last year to spend another $40M on the arena, with the "requirement that a buyer would be sought." The Capital Region Development Authority, which oversees the arena, said that it "expects to seek a buyer or investor by the end of this month" (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/12).

In Miami, Susan Miller Degnan reports the Univ. of Miami's new 83,000-square-foot football practice facility is "expected to be completed by fall camp in August." UM Senior Associate AD Jesse Marks said that $33.6M of the initial $34M had been "raised as of Thursday morning, and that fundraising will continue." The air-conditioned facility will "have two fields, one 80 yards long and the other 40 yards, the smaller field underneath the mezzanine where [coach Mark] Richt's office will be." Marks said that the nearly 30,000-square-foot football operation complex is "self enclosed and will have 'all new football offices, team meeting rooms, coaches’ offices, all new recruiting areas’ and will be attached to the Hecht Athletic Center" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/13).

CHALK IT UP: In Kansas, Rochelle Valverde reported work on the multi-million dollar indoor practice facility for the Kansas football team will "begin soon." KU Dir of News & Media Relations Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said that the contractor would "be on site next week to begin the project." The Kansas Board of Regents voted in November to give KU the authority to build the $26M facility, which is one part of an overall $300M renovation project KU "has planned for Memorial Stadium" (LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD, 4/12).

TRICE IS NICE: In Iowa, Caitlin Ware reports the Iowa Board of Regents approved several large-scale Iowa State projects "moving forward." The board approved proceeding with plans for a $65-80M project to "expand and renovate facilities at the north end of Jack Trice Stadium." The football complex will "include a 12-000-square-foot locker room, team lounge/gathering space and expansion of other functional areas of the facility." ISU will "need to get final approval of its financing plan" for the project before starting any phase of construction. ISU AD Jamie Pollard said that it is important to meet the estimated $25M project fundraising goals "in order to move forward" (AMES TRIBUNE, 4/13).

NEW DIGS: In Spokane, Jim Meehan reports Gonzaga has dedicated its Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement, which "features a Hall of Honor, a basketball practice court, a weight room and film room on the first floor" (Spokane SPOKESMAN-REVIEW, 4/13).